KFF recently reported that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs (OPA) has largely ceased operations following federal layoffs. OPA administers the Title X family planning program, which provides contraception, pregnancy testing, and other primary and preventive care to almost 3 million low-income or uninsured patients annually. These developments, combined with recent Medicaid reductions, the potential lapse of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies, and funding cuts across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs, have raised concerns about the long-term stability of the reproductive health safety net.
On Nov. 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to revise labeling for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products used to treat menopause. The agency will remove boxed warning references to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and probable dementia, citing updated evidence that these risks were overstated in earlier studies. However, the FDA is leaving in place the boxed warning for endometrial cancer for systemic estrogen-alone products. According to the FDA, these changes are intended to reflect current science and support informed decision-making for women considering HRT.
